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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24481804">the ups and downs will come around as family we'll get trough it</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/natashalightwood/pseuds/natashalightwood'>natashalightwood</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I love these girls so much, just a little bith though, mostly soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:28:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,702</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24481804</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/natashalightwood/pseuds/natashalightwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Maria is pregnant and is tormented by self-doubt. Carol helps her. Somehow that results into a paint war.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the ups and downs will come around as family we'll get trough it</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Maria was stressed. It was just a matter of time until she was gonna give birth to her daughter and the room wasn't ready yet.</p><p>The furniture should've been there two weeks before, but apparently the supplier had a problem and she was stuck with an empty room and a mental breakdown over fucking furniture. </p><p>Maybe she could convince Carol to go live in a cave. No one expected you to have furniture in a cave. Just something to make a fire. And a pillow. </p><p>If she didn't get her double leaf closet soon she might actually start to consider it. </p><p>"I can hear you thinking. I'm trying to watch TV"  Carol said with a monotone voice. </p><p>Maria stopped pacing around the room to glare at her. She raised an eyebrow from her spot on the couch. </p><p>Stupid eloquent eyebrows</p><p>"This is a total tragedy," she declared</p><p>"You know this isn't healthy, right?" </p><p>"No, this is terrible, an absolute disgrace," she stressed "and you don't understand"</p><p>"I think you're overreacting" Carol shrugged. </p><p>Maria gave her a more vicious glare. If looks could kill. "I'm not overreacting,"  she hissed "it's you who can't see the problem, but sure blame it on the pregnancy hormones" </p><p>"It's just furniture!" </p><p>"It's not just the furniture!" she suddenly yelled. "It's the fact that I couldn't even give her a proper room. She isn't born yet and I'm already disappointing her" there were tears forming in the crinkle of her eyes, her voice a bit unsteady. She pressed her palms on her eyes and took two deep breaths. There was no more anger in her, at least not for Carol or the damn furniture supplier. She was just so tired. </p><p>All her fears, all the terrors she pushed down during the nine months were coming back and she couldn't breath, couldn't think about anything other than the fact that she was gonna give her daughter a lifetime of things not ready and not good enough (she was not enough) and that everyone - her mean colleagues, the other future moms at the prenatal course, her parents - were right all along and she was just blinded by her own egotistical desire of being a mother-</p><p>When she looked up, Carol had lost every trace of frustration and sarcasm and she was giving her that kind, concerned look destined just for vulnerable moments like that. Maria softened a bit too and she felt her heartbeat go slower. The effects those brown eyes had on her. It never ceased to amaze her. </p><p>"Come here," Carol whispered, patting the spot next to her lightly. </p><p>Maria managed to drag herself to the other part of the room and sit, slowly, carefully, next to her girlfriend. She was pretty agile even though it was her ninth month of pregnancy, but sitting and getting up still took effort. </p><p>Carol took her hand and kissed the back lightly, before starting to massage her shoulder blades. She knew exactly where Maria kept all the stress. Of course she knew. </p><p>Maria left out a pleased sigh while the other girl's thumbs moved in circles. She was so good at this, it was insane. </p><p>"There, relax, sweetheart" she pressed a soft kiss on Maria's temple. </p><p>"Now, want to tell me what is going on through your head?" she asked gently, not stopping her soothing movements. </p><p>"It's just- Carol I don't think I can be a good mother" she said</p><p>"Bullshit" she interrupted. </p><p>Maria shot her a warning glance and Carol offered an apologetic smile. She gestured for Maria to go on. </p><p>"This kid deserves someone who can give her anything she wants. She deserves not to wait. She deserves stability and safeness and a someone who isn't going to leave her in the middle of the night because of a life threatening mission. She deserves someone who can give her a good life, a normal life" the lump in her throat felt unbearable. </p><p>"Hey" Carol moved a lock of hair behind her ear "You're going to be a great mother. I know it, Maria. This kid," she laid her finger on Maria's belly lightly "Is going to grow up surrounded by love. We are going to give her so much love. And that's all she'll need to be happy"</p><p>Maria scoffed. "There's about 20 people I know that would disagree completely" </p><p>"Then I'll punch them all in the face" she stated. Just like that. As if it was the logical conclusion to someone making her feel unhappy. And she meant it. Maria couldn't help but think, this is the woman I wanna grow old with. </p><p>She was truly gone. </p><p>"Even my parents?" she asked weakly, with a sort of bitter humour. It was meant to be a joke. It didn't sound like it. </p><p>"Especially those fuckers" Carol said, with false innocence. She smacked her shoulder and shot her  a disapproving glance, but the smile spreading on her face didn't make it look believable at all. </p><p>Her relationship with her parents had started to go downhill when Maria introduced Carol to them a second time, this time as her girlfriend and the woman she was gonna raise her daughter with. Her mother had cried. Her father had left the room without a word. Losing their approval and support had been an heavy blow, but they made their choice and she eventually came to peace with that. They loved her, but they didn't love all of her and there was no place for someone who couldn't accept the best thing that had ever happened to her in her life. </p><p>Carol had taken her on the top of a cliff that night and told her to scream in the void and wait for the echo. </p><p>"Say it. Come on. Scream it" she had asked, her eyes sparkling. </p><p>"I'm Maria Rambeau and every part of me is beautiful" she had said. </p><p>"Louder!" Carol had laughed. </p><p>"I'm Maria Rambeau and every part or me is beautiful!" this time, her fists had been clenched and her voice had not trembled. </p><p>When she looked up she noticed Carol had her brows furrowed and then her jaw set in that stubborn look of hers that meant whatever crazy, insane thing she was thinking of, she had already decided she was going to do that. </p><p>"Carol…?" she started</p><p>Carol suddenly got up with her shining eyes set on an undefined distant point. She looked at Maria. </p><p>"Wait here" she told her. </p><p>"Wait- what- where are you going?" Maria asked in disbelief. </p><p>"Just wait!" Carol yelled from the door before taking her coat and hurrying out of their shared house.</p><p>Maria continued to stare at the closed door.</p><p>***</p><p>Carol came back about an hour later, her cheeks rosy for the cold weather and her hands behind her back. </p><p>"Where the hell were you?" Maria asked, too confused by her girlfriend's behavior to be annoyed. </p><p>Carol's eyes were full of excitement while she revealed what she was hiding. </p><p>She squinted. "A bucket of paint?" this really didn't answer any of the thousand questions in her mind. She was getting less and less sure of Carol's mental stability. Maybe she had the flu and was being delirious. Her cheeks were rosy after all. </p><p>"I-- I thought that maybe you'd like to paint her room. To feel useful. So it wouldn't feel so empty. We can do it. Together" </p><p>Maria gaped at her for a solid minute and Carol's expression started falling. "O-or not. If you don't want to" her smile twitched nervously "I should have asked you first, I know, but you know how impulsive I am, I just thought maybe- actually, scratch that, it was a stupid idea I don't-" </p><p>Maria crossed the room in a heartbeat and threw her hands around Carol's neck, almost spilling some paint. In all honesty, she couldn't care less if she stained the fucking parquet in that moment. </p><p>"Thank you," she whispered "Thank you so much" her voice was breaking and she was trying to communicate the utter adoration she felt with her hug as if the proximity of their heart made it possible for her emotions to go directly into Carol's, but it wasn't enough, nothing would never be enough to make her understand how much Maria loved her. </p><p>"So" she wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes "let's get to work" </p><p>***<br/>Two hours later she stood proudly in front of the blue-painted wall and she was so lost admiring her work that she missed Carol's mischievous grin. </p><p>Fatal mistake. </p><p>She gaped at the blue stain on her shirt and then raised her head, a devilish smirk replacing the former surprised expression. </p><p>"Oh, you want war?" she picked up the paint brush from where she left it in the bucket "then war it is!" she threw some paint straight on Carol's face who gasped in mock-outrage, bringing a hand to her chest to add to her dramatic act. </p><p>They went like this for a while, until Maria suddenly realized how to get the upper hand. <br/>She let the paintbrush fall on the floor and picked up the whole bucket instead, advancing threateningly, batting her eyelashes in faux innocence at Carol. </p><p>"No. No, no, no" she backed up quickly. </p><p>"Not so bold now, are we?" she asked when Carol's back touched the wall she held up her hands in a pacifying gesture and Maria poured the whole bucket's content on her, painting her blue from head to toe. </p><p>Everything was quiet for a moment until Carol opened her eyes. She still had that smirk on your face. </p><p>"Hug me, Maria" she made grabby hands at her and tried to catch her while Maria ran away giggling. <br/>"Hug meeeee!" she sing-songed until she managed to reach her and hold her tight. </p><p>A moment later they were both on the floor, and indecent amount of blue paint covering their bodies and they were laughing like they haven't done in a really long time, getting the floor all messy, a mess they would have to clean up later. </p><p>Maria thought that, if someone asked her where she wanted to be, the only answer she'd be able to give would be: right here, right now, with her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>say hi on tumblr!<br/>@natasha-lightwood</p></blockquote></div></div>
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